3 Clear Signs to Quickly Identify Someone With Good Leadership Skills

If you’ve ever had the chance to work under a good leader, you’ve probably noticed something important: they actually care about their people. They’re not just focused on hitting targets or climbing the ladder themselves—they genuinely care about helping their team succeed, both in their current roles and in their long-term goals.

For many leaders, this doesn’t come naturally. It’s tough to balance caring for others when you’re under pressure to deliver results and meet expectations. But here’s the thing: research—and countless stories from top leaders I have interviewed on my podcast—shows that focusing on your people is a game-changer for the success of your business. It’s not just a feel-good approach; it’s smart strategy.

When leaders consistently show they care and foster the right environment, the positive ripple effects are undeniable. Let’s talk about three clear signs that will tell you someone is fit for leadership:

Transparency is like the foundation of a solid house. Without it, things crumble—trust erodes, team dynamics break down, and toxicity seeps in. When leaders model transparency, they create a culture where trust thrives, egos take a back seat, and collaboration rules.

In a transparent workplace, you’re less likely to see gossip, backstabbing, or underhanded politics. That’s because teams feel safe to communicate openly and focus on working together to get things done. Transparency empowers the team to call out unhealthy behaviors early, stopping drama in its tracks.

But transparency has to start at the top. Senior leaders need to show the way by being honest about goals, challenges, and even their own mistakes. If someone isn’t pulling their weight, a transparent leader doesn’t let it fester. They address the issue head-on, with honesty and care, and give real, constructive feedback.

What Edmondson found is that better-performing teams made more errors than worse-performing ones. You may see this as a negative but here’s the catch: Edmondson found the best-performing teams were admitting to errors and discussing them more often than other groups did. In other words, what distinguished the best-performing teams was psychological safety, which facilitated a “climate of openness” to course correct and cut through problems faster.

Psychological safety curbs the fear that historically makes it difficult for workers to think clearly and act confidently on their own to make decisions. It helps to eliminate the authoritarian tactics of bosses yelling at workers for making mistakes or not knowing things.

Lastly, with employee well-being a top priority, psychological safety decreases stress and burnout by giving people the autonomy to use their brains at critical times without asking for permission from micromanagers.

In workplaces where people model and share common values like respect and dignity, there’s acceptance of one another. Employees are allowed and expected to be themselves at work, whatever that is — within the context of achieving the goals and mission of the organization.

An important question a leader should be asking an employee is, “What can I do to support your development and help you to reach your goals?” Give it a try and watch your leadership soar to new levels.